Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

The other night I made lasagna. James loved it. Then I told him it was made with gluten free pasta. He said in the future he wants regular pasta. I still doubt he could really tell the difference, but he swears he prefers one over the other. That story aside, it led to a discussion about being gluten free. Is it actually healthier for you?

I did some research and unless WebMD, Jillian Michaels and othersources are being paid off by the gluten industry, going gluten free if you don’t need to (i.e. have celiac’s disease or a gluten sensitivity) isn’t actually “healthier” for you. Eating less carbs, which contain gluten and sugars, may make you feel better (we’ve all heard of tennis player Novak Djokovic’s gluten free diet), but going completely gluten free if you don’t need to isn’t healthier. Ultimately it’s what makes you feel good when you eat. I found it helpful to do a little digging since gluten free products are so abundant (Did You Know: sales of gluten free foods “[reached] $4.2 billion in 2012, for a compound annual growth rate of 28 percent over the 2008-2012 period”)

That being said, when I saw this cookie recipe on the back of a bag of oats from Trader Joe’s, I couldn’t resist making them since I had all the ingredients in my pantry. And they’re delicious. And James thinks so, too – even after he found out they are gluten free.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheet with parchment paper

Combine butter and sugars and beat until creamy.

Add eggs, vanilla and baking soda and mix well.

Add peanut butter and mix.

Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts.

Using a spoon (I used a 1/4 measuring cup) scoop out dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until the edges are lightly brown. If the middle still looks soft when you pull them out, that’s ok! They’ll continue to bake while cooling and you’ll get a nice soft, chewy cookie.